Maine hunters saw lower success rates in September bull moose season

By Susan Bard, Bangor Daily News Outdoors Editor

The 2025 September moose hunt was a tough season for many, with all wildlife management zones seeing a decline in harvest numbers compared with 2024.

The table below summarizes results for each area. Permit allocations remained unchanged from last year, and hunters drawn for districts 27 or 28 could hunt in either region. No bull tags were issued for management units 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15 or 17.

Maine’s moose biologist, Lee Kantar, offered perspective on the decline in success rates, drawing on moose biology and behavior to explain the possible influence of this year’s low precipitation. 

“There is no annual variation in the rut as estrus of cows and testosterone of bulls is directly related to shortening of daylength (photoperiod),” Kantar said. He noted, however, that drought conditions and slightly earlier September dates can translate to changes in moose behavior.

During the roughly two- to three-week rut, cows come into and out of estrus in stages, while bulls search for receptive cows. Kantar noted that drought and warm weather likely affect moose movements, feeding behavior and times of activity, and may lead them to use smaller home ranges, staying closer to areas with moisture and green vegetation.

“All of this impacts hunter behavior directly,” Kantar said. “If bulls are not widely searching for cows, if bulls and cows are bedding or ruminating more in dark growth during the day, and if hunters do not adjust and ‘go in’ after them, then success will drop.”

For reference, last year’s bull moose hunt ran from Sept. 23-28. While rut timing remained steady, environmental factors appear to have shaped hunter outcomes last week.